The dairy-woman stood by in silent wonder, first looking at Sidonia, then at Wolde, who began to dance likewise, and chanted:—
"Also kleien und also kratzen,
Unsre Hunde und unsre Katzen."
["So claw and so scratch,
Our dogs and our cats.">[
At last Sidonia answered, "This time I will help him; but if he ever bring the roaring ox out of the stall again, assuredly he will repent it."
Hereon the dairy-mother turned to depart, but suddenly stood quite still, staring at Anne Wolde; at length said, "Did I not see thee years ago spinning flax in my mother's cellar, when the folk wanted to bring thee to an ill end?"
But the hag denied it all—"The devil may have been in her mother's cellar, but she had never seen Marienfliess in her life before, till she came hither with this illustrious lady."
So the other seemed to believe her, and went out; and by the time she reached her master's door, his pains had all vanished, so that he rode that same day at noon to the hunt.
The poor abbess heard of all this through Anna Apenborg, and thereupon bethought herself of a little embassy likewise.
So she bid Anna take all sorts of good pastry, and a new kettle, and greet the Lady Sidonia from her—"Could the dear sister give her anything for the rheumatism?" She heard the sheriff was quite cured, and all the doctor's salves and plasters were only making her worse. She sent the dear sister a few dainties—item, a new kettle, as her own kettle had not yet arrived. Item, she begged her acceptance of all the furniture, &c., which she had lent her for her apartment.
At this second message, the horrible witch laughed and danced as before, repeating the same couplet; and the old hag, Wolde, danced behind her like her shadow.